Benefits to Old Aylmer
Gatineau, APICA sign major funding plan
Gatineau city representatives met with the APICA (Aymer’s business association) board of directors and Executive Director prior to APICA's annual general meeting, March 28.
Funding for the rue Principale events program and for some APICA labour costs had been announced earlier (see Bulletin March 21), but the agreement itself was signed March 28.
With APICA’s president, Stéphanie Olney-Lessard, stepping down after three years, the vice-president, Mireille Alary, signed the agreement for APICA. Both are well-known notaries. In her report to the AGM, the president noted that, although the funding is important, a welcome result of the agreement is an easing of the paperwork load and reporting required by the city. She thanked the city for reducing the paper burden, leaving more time for actual APICA work. Gatineau has signed or is signing similar agreements with three other business associations in other city sectors.
The associations negotiated together for the funding, approaching the city as a common front. The financial plans are five-year (2018-2022) agreements.
“The business associations are partners on the ground with whom we share the goal of reinvigorating our urban centres and our ambiance streets. Over the next months we will set the criteria for using the additional funds voted in the last budget and to which the business associations will have access,” declared Mayor Maxime Pedneaud-Jobin. In her Executive Director's report, Suzanne Bosée relayed two important messages to members. She asked everyone to re-think APICA's goals, noting a survey will soon be conducted, toward the creation of a new strategic plan. She also underlined the organization’s main goal, the vitality of Aylmer's commercial sector.
This was Mme Bosée’s first AGM, after taking on the position following Jocelyn Lauzon's departure five months ago.
The coordinator for the rue Principale program, Anick Néron, thanked the membership for their involvement, but announced she is leaving the part-time position in favour of more secure work in community development. Coming APICA public events are a collective garage sale along rue Principale in May, plus a festival in August. For businesses and organizations, a golf fundraiser is planned for May. APICA’s new board of directors held its first meeting April 4, at which time, the executive was selected. François Sylvestre took on the presidency at that meeting.
